In the last half-century, high-speed water transportation has developed rapidly. Novel high-performance marine vehicles, such as the air cushion vehicle (ACV), surface effect ship (SES), high-speed monohull craft (MHC), catamaran (CAT), hydrofoil craft (HYC), wave-piercing craft (WPC) and small water area twin hull craft (SWATH) have all developed as concepts, achieving varying degrees of commercial and military success. Prototype ACV and SES have achieved speeds of 100 knots in at calm con- tions; however, the normal cruising speed for commercial operations has remained around 35–50 knots. This is partly due to increased drag in an average coastal s- way where such craft operate services and partly due to limitations of the propulsion systems for such craft. Water jets and water propellers face limitations due to c- itation at high speed, for example. SWATH are designed for reduced motions in a seaway, but the hull form is not a low drag form suitable for high-speed operation. So that seems to lead to a problem – maintain water contact and either water propulsion systems run out of power or craft motions and speed loss are a problem in higher seastates. The only way to higher speed would appear to be to disconnect completely from the water surface. You, the reader, might respond with a question about racing hydroplanes, which manage speeds of above 200 kph. Yes, true, but the power-to-weight ratio is extremely high on such racing machines and not economic if translated into a useful commercial vessel.

In the last half-century, high-speed water transportation has developed rapidly. Novel high-performance marine vehicles, such as the air cushion vehicle (ACV), surface effect ship (SES), high-speed monohull craft (MHC), catamaran (CAT), hydrofoil craft (HYC), wave-piercing craft (WPC) and small water area twin hull craft (SWATH) have all developed as concepts, achieving varying degrees of commercial and military success. Prototype ACV and SES have achieved speeds of 100 knots in at calm con- tions; however, the normal cruising speed for commercial operations has remained around 35–50 knots. This is partly due to increased drag in an average coastal s- way where such craft operate services and partly due to limitations of the propulsion systems for such craft. Water jets and water propellers face limitations due to c- itation at high speed, for example. SWATH are designed for reduced motions in a seaway, but the hull form is not a low drag form suitable for high-speed operation. So that seems to lead to a problem – maintain water contact and either water propulsion systems run out of power or craft motions and speed loss are a problem in higher seastates. The only way to higher speed would appear to be to disconnect completely from the water surface. You, the reader, might respond with a question about racing hydroplanes, which manage speeds of above 200 kph. Yes, true, but the power-to-weight ratio is extremely high on such racing machines and not economic if translated into a useful commercial vessel.

In the last half-century, high-speed water transportation has developed rapidly. Novel high-performance marine vehicles, such as the air cushion vehicle (ACV), surface effect ship (SES), high-speed monohull craft (MHC), catamaran (CAT), hydrofoil craft (HYC), wave-piercing craft (WPC) and small water area twin hull craft (SWATH) have all developed as concepts, achieving varying degrees of commercial and military success. Prototype ACV and SES have achieved speeds of 100 knots in at calm con- tions; however, the normal cruising speed for commercial operations has remained around 35–50 knots. This is partly due to increased drag in an average coastal s- way where such craft operate services and partly due to limitations of the propulsion systems for such craft. Water jets and water propellers face limitations due to c- itation at high speed, for example. SWATH are designed for reduced motions in a seaway, but the hull form is not a low drag form suitable for high-speed operation. So that seems to lead to a problem – maintain water contact and either water propulsion systems run out of power or craft motions and speed loss are a problem in higher seastates. The only way to higher speed would appear to be to disconnect completely from the water surface. You, the reader, might respond with a question about racing hydroplanes, which manage speeds of above 200 kph. Yes, true, but the power-to-weight ratio is extremely high on such racing machines and not economic if translated into a useful commercial vessel.

One of the most unusual strands in aviation history has been the development of wing-in-ground effect (WIG) vehicles, or as they are more commonly known by their Russian name, Ekranploans. Beginning with a brief outline of the concept from the theory to viable technical solutions, this new, expanded edition of Soviet and Russian Ekranploans gives a historical survey of the development of WIG research and construction in Russia. A large part of the book focuses on a type-by-type description of specific designs of ekranoplans developed in the Soviet Union and Russia in the course of half a century. Special emphasis is given to the activities of Rostislav Alekseyev, who has played an enormous role in the development of this new technology. Ekranoplans developed by several other major design bureaus, notably those led by Sukhoi, Bartini and Beriyev, are also considered. Economic and political transformations following the break-up of the Soviet Union led to the emergence of privately-owned design bureaus and firms that are now pursuing the development of WIG aircraft in Russia, given the lack of interest on the part of the military and the state in this branch of transport technology. This new edition has been fully updated to include unpublished photos and diagrams and examples of similar technology being developed in countries outside of Russian, including the USA, Germany and China. This is a welcome update to a book regarded as the definitive work on these unusual and exciting aircraft.

81/2 x 11 128 pgs 150 color & b&w photos For decades the Soviet Union and now Russia have held leading positions in the development of a special class of vehicles that are neither aircraft nor ships or both at once. Known as wing-in-ground effect (WIGE) craft or by their Russian name of ekranoplan, these vehicles combined the best of both worlds, operating on the borderline between the sky and the sea, offering the speed of an aircraft coupled with better operating economics and the ability to operate pretty much anywhere on the world's waterways. As such they promptly attracted the attention of the military and thus have been veiled in secrecy until recently.The book describes in detail the many series of WIGE vehicles developed by various design bureaus, including the Orlyonok, the only ekranoplan to see squadron service, the missile-armed Loon and the famous and awesome KM, or Caspian Sea Monster, which first attracted the attention of the West to these developments.

High Performance Marine Vessels (HPMVs) range from the Fast Ferries to the latest high speed Navy Craft, including competition power boats and hydroplanes, hydrofoils, hovercraft, catamarans and other multi-hull craft. High Performance Marine Vessels covers the main concepts of HPMVs and discusses historical background, design features, services that have been successful and not so successful, and some sample data of the range of HPMVs to date. Included is a comparison of all HPMVs craft and the differences between them and descriptions of performance (hydrodynamics and aerodynamics). Readers will find a comprehensive overview of the design, development and building of HPMVs.

A fascinating and authoritative narrative history of the V-22 Osprey, revealing the inside story of the most controversial piece of military hardware ever developed for the United States Marine Corps. When the Marines decided to buy a helicopter-airplane hybrid “tiltrotor” called the V-22 Osprey, they saw it as their dream machine. The tiltrotor was the aviation equivalent of finding the Northwest Passage: an aircraft able to take off, land, and hover with the agility of a helicopter yet fly as fast and as far as an airplane. Many predicted it would reshape civilian aviation. The Marines saw it as key to their very survival. By 2000, the Osprey was nine years late and billions over budget, bedeviled by technological hurdles, business rivalries, and an epic political battle over whether to build it at all. Opponents called it one of the worst boondoggles in Pentagon history. The Marines were eager to put it into service anyway. Then two crashes killed twenty-three Marines. They still refused to abandon the Osprey, even after the Corps’ own proud reputation was tarnished by a national scandal over accusations that a commander had ordered subordinates to lie about the aircraft’s problems. Based on in-depth research and hundreds of interviews, The Dream Machine recounts the Marines’ quarter-century struggle to get the Osprey into combat. Whittle takes the reader from the halls of the Pentagon and Congress to the war zone of Iraq, from the engineer’s drafting table to the cockpits of the civilian and Marine pilots who risked their lives flying the Osprey—and sometimes lost them. He reveals the methods, motives, and obsessions of those who designed, sold, bought, flew, and fought for the tiltrotor. These stories, including never before published eyewitness accounts of the crashes that made the Osprey notorious, not only chronicle an extraordinary chapter in Marine Corps history, but also provide a fascinating look at a machine that could still revolutionize air travel.

Master's Thesis from the year 2008 in the subject Engineering - Aerospace Technology, grade: A, University of Southampton, course: Computational Aerodynamics, language: English, abstract: Wing-in-ground effect (WIG) vehicles offer an exciting capability to fill the enormous void between speed of an aircraft and the payload capacity of a ship. WIG vehicles would be able to move cargo and passengers faster than a ship and more economical than an aircraft. Ground effect is a phenomenon that occurs on all wings flying close to the ground or a surface. The aim of this project is to investigate the behavior of wings (NACA/DHMTU series) in ground effect (on a fixed/variable terrain) using Fluent CFD package. The NACA 0012 and DHMTU series used in this project are designed specifically to fly in close proximity to the ground. The performance of the NACA/ DHMTU airfoils is examined for the lift and the drag coefficients at different altitudes with varying angle of attack. The results are compared to experimental data that is available to assess the accuracy of the CFD simulation.

The Combat Medic of today is the most technically advanced ever produced by the United States Army. Such an advanced technician requires an advanced teaching and learning system. 68W Advanced Field Craft is the first textbook designed to prepare the Combat Medic for today’s challenges in the field. The ability to save lives in war, conflicts, and humanitarian inventions requires a specific skill set. Today’s Combat Medic must be an expert in emergency medical care, force health protection, limited primary care, evacuation, and warrior skills. 68W Advanced Field Craft combines complete medical content with dynamic features to support instructors and to prepare Combat Medics for their missions.

Air Lubrication and Air Cavity Technology is a major development that has emerged in recent years as a means to reduce resistance and powering for many types of ships, and an efficient design for high speed marine vessels. This book introduces the mechanisms for boundary layer drag reduction and concepts studied in early research work. Air bubble and sheet lubrication for displacement vessels is outlined and the key projects introduced. Generation of low volume flow air cavities under the hull of displacement, semi displacement and planing vessels are introduced together with theoretical and empirical analysis and design methods. Resistance reduction, power reduction and fuel efficiency are covered for both displacement and high speed vessels. Air layer and air cavity effects on vessel static and dynamic stability are covered, linked to regulatory requirements such as IMO. Seaway motions and reduced impact load of high speed craft in waves are discussed including model test results. Integration of propulsion systems for optimum powering is summarized. A design proposal for a wave piercing air cavity craft is included in an appendix. A comprehensive listing of document resources and internet locations is provided for further research.